Willow Farm House

Project Overview

Willow Farm is a 40-acre equestrian facility located on the Kent Downs, within the Garden of England. The site is situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The current owner purchased the farm along with a small 3-bedroom 1960s farmhouse, which fell short of the traditional romantic dream of living in a Kentish farmhouse.

Challenges and Strategy

We were commissioned to extend the existing dwelling, transforming it into a spacious 5-bedroom house with an attached self-contained annex, while also improving the appearance of the 1960s bungalow. Planning policy typically restricts the floor space of rural dwellings from increasing by more than 60% of the original house. However, the client’s need for more space required a challenge to this policy. We referenced ‘Paragraph 55 NPPF’, a planning policy allowing high architectural merit schemes to override the 60% limit.

Outcome

Urban & Rural secured full planning consent for the large country house with an internal floor space of 563 sqm (6,060 sq ft), representing a 167% expansion of the original dwelling. The project is now under construction, and we look forward to sharing the completed photographs soon.